Pages

Who DOESN'T Want a Puppy for Christmas?! But WAIT, not so fast!

Puppies and Christmas, they just
seem to go together, don’t they?At the shelter,
people often want to adopt dogs for others.Romantic boyfriends want to surprise the girl of their dreams with the
puppy of her dreams, parents delight in the idea of lighting up their child’s
face on Christmas morning with a new puppy, or a dutiful son thinks getting a
dog for Mom at Christmas will be the perfect gift of companionship and prevent
her from feeling lonely.

Although this is a wonderful
ideal, sometimes it doesn’t work out so well.The couple breaks up by New Years Eve, the puppy the parents chose gets
huge, scares the kid and knocks him down, and Mom becomes overwhelmed at the
prospect of caring for a dog.I
suggest people forgo the element of surprise for a well thought out adoption or
purchase of a puppy or older dog.It can
be just as wonderful and surprising to thoughtfully gift wrap an animal shelter
gift card, photo of a cute puppy, a leash, or a stuffed animal.Tell the recipient that right after
Christmas you’ll be taking them to pick out the pet of their dreams together.Wrap
the package beautifully, concealing your surprise, then make a day (or two) of
searching for the right puppy or dog together.The time you spend searching for their new best friend together will be
a gift in itself and a great memory!

Before you decide that a dog is
the perfect gift for someone else, be sure that their lifestyle will support the
lifelong commitment of owning a dog.

If the recipient is your child,
make sure responsibilities for caring for the puppy are well thought out and
that it’s the right time to add a pet to your family.Everyone in the house should be on board.

If the person you are gifting
travels frequently be sure that won’t become an issue.Who will care for the dog while they are
away?

Is there an apartment complex or
Homeowners Association with restrictions that may impact dog ownership or the
size and breed of dog they can have?

Do they live with someone else
that should be consulted before bringing a new pet into the home? Are there
other animals in the home already?

Assess the ability to afford vet
bills every year; annual vaccinations,
checkups, and visits to the vet for occasional illness or injury.They may need to spay or neuter the dog
themselves.Training, especially for puppies is important.Including a gift card towards training is an excellent addition to
your gift!

Once you determine that a canine
companion is definitely the right gift, help them make the right decision about
whether to get a puppy or an older dog, and what type of dog would best fit
their lifestyle.

Puppies are irresistible, but
they are a lot of work.House
training is the first order of business, and it takes time.Some puppies learn within a couple of days,
others can take weeks.Basic obedience commands and good behavior must be taught. No one wants to come home to find potty
accidents all over the house and a ripped up couch.Puppies are delightful but the first few
months can be a lot of work.An older
dog may already be house trained and well behaved, or at least calmer and
easier to train.

The next question is what type
of dog would be best. What breed of dog,
how big, will they shed a lot, what is the dog’s level of activity, do they
slobber, will the dog howl?These are
important questions to ask before deciding on what type of dog will fit
your lifestyle.I love
Animal Planet's Breed Selector on their web site, with a questionnaire that can help you decide which breeds
of dog might be a good fit.

Would a small dog that doesn't shed be the right fit, or a larger more active dog?

At animal shelters, Adoption
Counselors help customers select a pet that fits their
lifestyle.Don’t choose a dog based
solely on looks, find the right breed (or breed mix) that fits the
person’s lifestyle.Whether you work
with a shelter, breeder, or rescue to find the right dog ask a lot of questions
about the breed to be sure it’s a good fit. A dog is a lifelong commitment.Do the planning up front and the gift of the
right dog will be the gift that never stops giving!

Awesome article about a very important topic! So many people don't think about the lifelong commitment of dog ownership and all the aspects you covered beautifully. I always preach the importance of researching the kind of breed before realizing it will not fit your lifestyle!!!!

An saying from my old country is fitting for this and anything else we do: "Measure twice, cut once." People tell me that I overthink everything. While that is quite a curse for me, it's better than not think about stuff enough.

Yes, now that ASPCA has come out with the reversal of a common shelter no-no campaign re Puppies for Christmas Gifts, it's great to outline how to do this responsibly. Nothing worse than getting a "gift" you cannot afford in either time or money.

Cost is a huge factor, as is actual responsibility for the dog. So many parents really seem to believe they can make their kids learn to be responsible by feeding and walking the dog and when neither are done properly, the job falls on them. Thanks for your excellent reminder!